1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to headrests for seats. More particularly, the invention concerns a fully adjustable headrest for use in connection with furniture and with passenger vehicles such as aircraft, trains and busses.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Various types of headrests for use in passenger vehicles have been suggested in the past. As the general rule, these headrests are designed primarily to satisfy safety aspects rather than to provide a comfortable seating posture. Typically, the prior art vehicle headrests comprise only a vertically adjustable head support panel designed to provide protection against injury in the event of an accident. However, some vehicle headrests have also been provided with lateral headrest elements. Exemplary of such a headrest is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,091 issued to Rech et al.
Even more complex headrests have been designed for use in military aircraft and, more particularly in military aircraft for use in conjunction with ejection seats. Typical of this class of headrest design are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,243 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,961 both issued to Herndon. Another such headrest design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,662 issued to McDonald et al.
In addition to the development of headrests for use in military aircraft, significant advances have been made in recent years in the design of headrests for use in commercial aircraft. Exemplary of such headrests are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,250,716, 6,467,846, 6,666,517, 7,040,705, 7,264,313 and 7,364,239 issued to Clough.
As will become clear from the discussion that follows, the headrest of the present invention represents a substantial improvement over the prior art headrests and provides significantly greater ease of adjustability and therefore greater support and comfort to the user.